


Strangers They Used to Know

by calleryfield



Series: The Role She Held Before [4]
Category: Dangan Ronpa 十神 - 佐藤友哉 | Dangan Ronpa: Togami - Satou Yuuya, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Gen, NDRV3 Spoilers, continuation of pregame series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 06:17:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13851825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calleryfield/pseuds/calleryfield
Summary: The Final Installment of my Pre-Game Kirumi FicA tall, elegant, beautiful woman, dressed in black, white, and gray, coldly darting her icy green eyes and pointing at the one who accuses her, dare to ask and argue against her accuser’s words. All of her movements are swift and firm, as though all of her spirit radiates in all she does (quite different from how the girl remembers this woman’s former self).Her accuser? A male that bears the same colorization as the woman, but losing grip to the little confidence he had in himself at his declaration of this woman, doubting his abilities — his talent.





	Strangers They Used to Know

She couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle. She had to keep holding her hand to her mouth, hiding away that blissful smile. All of this is holding true to her plan — holding true to her schemes of the show. 

Fingers pointing defiantly at each other; eyes determined to battle one another; voices yelling for dominance in the court —  what a twist. What a poor, poor twist, but it only makes it a perfect theme to the show. It matched the exact atmosphere — the iconic, embellishing feeling that left many — no, the entire  _ world  _ on the edge of their seats, clinging desperately to their seats, heart wrenching from the sight, eyes watery. 

In that moment, she can feel herself becoming elated, proud that even until this day, she is able to uphold what the show stands for the most. 

And what scene was unfolding before her? 

A tall, elegant, beautiful woman, dressed in black, white, and gray, coldly darting her icy green eyes and pointing at the one who accuses her, dare to ask and argue against her accuser’s words. All of her movements are swift and firm, as though all of her spirit radiates in all she does (quite different from how the girl remembers this woman’s former self). 

Her accuser? A male that bears the same colorization as the woman, but losing grip to the little confidence he had in himself at his declaration of this woman, doubting his abilities — his  _ talent _ . 

There is a particular reason why she had made both of them wear similar coloring; she just couldn’t help it when she knows the truth about their relationship. 

Now here they are: two siblings that cannot even recognize each other, retorting against each other over the poor Ultimate Astronaut. A sibling feud and they had no idea. It was as though the two had exchanged levels of confidence. Perhaps, they really were related, after all, if the looks of their faces had not given it away. 

Yet they still fought, trying to argue out who would be the one standing as the victor of this trial. 

Thinking of how the siblings are fighting, Tsumugi cannot help but think of the days prior to this killing game, when Kirumi wasn’t Kirumi, and when Shuuichi wasn’t Shuuichi. 

Tsumugi shakes her head in defeat. She wishes she could fulfill that Kirumi’s former being’s dreams, especially when it had resonated with her own. In fact, she did, but as a producer of the top show in the world, she had to change things up. She stayed true to the girl’s wishes  _ somewhat _ .

“This is my selfless devotion!” Kirumi cries aloud. 

That’s what renders Tsumugi helpless to the girl’s wishes. The person Kirumi used to be had a cowardly selfless devotion to her brother. Take away that cowardice — that fear — and there is no stop to Kirumi’s love. 

But that love grew and grew and became a love for  _ all _ , losing sight of the  _ one _ she was here to protect, and Tsumugi couldn’t fix that. It’s just the price that Kirumi had to pay.

Thank goodness for that, though. It’s what’s making this trial all the more interesting — well, for Tsumugi, anyways. 

But to the fault of the previously cowardly girl, now her fate is suspended on a spider thread, and the one she was trying to protect is the one holding the scissors to cut the thread. Tsumugi can see the brother’s hands shaking to do it, doubting his conclusion in the trial, doubting all that he had thought of this trial. 

Even so, the former siblings battle against each other, trying to prove each other wrong, and Tsumugi is loving every bit of it. It’s truly a shame that they wouldn’t understand the high impact it would have on the audience; the audience would be so pleased, and so would the former self of Shuuichi. 

The conclusion is drawing near. Kirumi’s piercing screams echo loudly in the trial, condemning Shuuichi for his poor decision to expose her crimes — the decision she must make in order to “save everyone.” 

The annoying bear mascot calls for all to place their votes — to make a final decision with who the killer is, but Tsumugi knows with Shuuichi’s talent, everyone would easily agree that it is none other than Kirumi who had killed the poor male who had nothing left to live for. 

A screen drops from the ceiling beside Monokuma; all eyes are glued to the screen’s reveal, sweat beginning to profuse from everyone’s heads. The screen turns on, revealing the little icons with everyone’s faces, each next to a meter. Instantly, one meter fills to the maximum counts — the one next to Kirumi’s face. 

But as Tsumugi looks across the screen, her eyes widen at the sight of a single vote beside Shuuichi’s icon. And oh, how Tsumugi is so sure she knows whose vote that belongs to. 

How tragic is it that the one who entered this game to protect Shuuichi is the one now attempting to condemn him so that she may live? No longer selfless but  _ selfish  _ in her motives — for something that doesn’t even exist. Choosing over something fictional over something real to her.

Just like her brother.  

Tsumugi glances over to Shuuichi, the boy noticeably gulping nervously at the sight of that single tick mark by his icon. His eyes dart to Kirumi, while Kirumi continues to stare at Shuuichi, as though such an action will increase the chances to save her. 

But the deed is done. Everyone has made their choices.

And everyone but the convicted is correct. They’ve made their choice and their fates have been saved. All except for the convicted’s fate. 

The spider thread has snapped: her brother uses those scissors in his hands to snip the thin thread, hold his other hand to his eyes so he couldn’t see as his sister takes the plunge into the depths below. She couldn’t make it to the top — to her goal — to save her brother. 

The yelling has ended in the courtroom. Everyone is only just asking and begging for Kirumi’s motive and reason, and Kirumi is inclined to tell them why they had just made the wrong choice: the reveal that she is the “prime minister” of the world outside, tasked to save the world from destruction by her own people; the shock sending everyone present to tears, even Tsumugi who must follow the script to hide her identity. 

But Shuuichi… How shocking that Tsumugi is able to pull out those emotions from him — to let him feel remorse for his actions and to even sympathize with others, let alone the sister that he’s been ignoring all of his life. His confidence wavers; his purpose is faltering at the sight of those around him raising their hands, willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Kirumi. Tsumugi could see Shuuichi’s fingers rub against the palm of his hands nervously, as though he too wished to raise his hand to save Kirumi, but soon after, Shuuichi just brings his pale hands to his equally pale face and takes a deep breath, trying to soothe his nerves, but Tsumugi can see the boy shaking in his stance, holding back his tears and choking with every breath he inhaled. 

Kirumi’s words — they’re becoming harsher with every second, desperate to live for the thing that does not exist, desperate to abandon her initial goal — wanting to  _ sacrifice  _ her initial goal to live. Louder and louder do her declarations become and more tragic does she make herself to be. 

And that makes the boy shake more, afraid of what Kirumi is planning.

“I will do anything — ANYTHING — to survive!” Kirumi cries loudly in a state of panic and aggression. In her heels, the maid darts away from the class trial ground. She rushes away, desperate to get away from it all so she may live. Her screams reverberate off the walls of the class trial. “I have to escape! I won’t die here!”

Shuuichi is frozen at the sight of the maid’s exit, but the others have begun to cry at the running woman to keep going. 

The mascot has spoken the words. Her execution. She  _ must  _ go to her death. 

The others begin to shout for her to keep running, wishing and praying that somehow she can escape it (it almost makes Tsumugi laugh at their naivety). 

But soon after, Tsumugi hears the boy’s broken voice crying out, too. “R-Run…. Run! Run,Toujo-san!”

But those words fail to reach the woman fleeing; she doesn’t call out in response to her brother. No, she’s only focused on running, focused on her feet to let her leave. 

And the boy keeps pleading with the others for Kirumi to keep moving before that hellish bear mascot can reach her, sobs breaking through his voice. All the cries drowned out by the woman’s wails. 

“I WILL NOT DIE!” Her final screams pierce the heavy air, but they were not enough. Nothing is enough to avoid the punishment a sinner must face for their actions. 

And so, the execution begins; the woman trapped away into a hallway, being chased by the “people” she loved; forcing her into a corner. 

Then Tsumugi’s favorite part of this entire execution: the long thorny vine that she knows Kirumi would take the bait for, even if it hurts her; even if the daunting blades begin to slice away at her the more she climbs; even if she was bleeding out every drop of blood from her body. 

And again Kirumi finds herself on a spider thread, in Tsumugi’s eyes, desperately climbing to her goal. The thread, this time, even more befitting of the relationship that Kirumi had, and this execution being the perfect end to this poor girl’s wish: a morale for this poor girl. 

The woman’s climbs are getting slower with every slice she takes to her skin; her clothes have become tattered and sprayed with blood; her hands seep blood with every thorn that stabbed through. Yet she still tries to cling on in hopes to leave. 

Her head is spinning but she can see it now: the light. Her goal… This may be the one time she can actually reach her goal.

That’s what Tsumugi believes is going through Kirumi’s mind, but Kirumi wouldn’t learn her mistake in all this if Tsumugi had let the maid go that easily. 

No: Tsumugi wanted Kirumi to learn — to see where Kirumi’s fault lied when she started this killing game, even before the killing game. Trying to save something that didn’t care for her at all. Saving something that didn’t even exist between the two parties. Wanting to do something for others — not herself. That selfless love that Kirumi clung onto, even in her new personality, that only gave her grief and pain than did it give her happiness. That’s the greatest mistake the maid has taken.

Snap. 

Kirumi falls again.

Falling. Falling. Faster and faster until her entire body crushes into splutter of blood, painting the floor. 

That is the end to that selfless love: the selfless love that caused nothing but pain. 

Tsumugi would say she did a job well done, but she must ask for Kirumi’s old self to forgive Tsumugi’s actions. Still, that is what Tsumugi must do to create the perfect final act for this character she’s created. Now, the character is complete. 

  
  


Everyone’s already left, everyone sobbing as they exited out the trial grounds, but for some reason, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t move away from looking at her body on the ground. It left a sickening feeling in his stomach — the fact that he couldn’t move and the fact that they’ve lost another person to this stupid killing game. 

Shuuichi told everyone he’ll be out. He just needed some time on his own. 

Why… Why did he decide to stay? Why couldn’t he just leave? 

He doesn’t understand it either; both Kirumi and he were not close at all before any of this. The only times Kirumi and he interacted were the days Kirumi would serve everyone food or clean the area. Other than that, there isn’t much to say to their relationship. 

Still, he stands there over her body, head lowered and tears forming once again. Somehow he found himself to drawn to Kirumi. 

And seeing her body underneath that fake sun she tried to grasp onto makes him feel sicker and sadder. Any feeling in his body leaves him to succumb to numbness. 

More tears billow from his eyes and he begins to choke on his sobs once again. He covers his face again with his hands, shaking his head. 

“I’m… I’m so sorry, Toujo-san… I’m sorry,” Shuuichi whimpers. He wipes his eyes but the tears just keep coming out. He repeats his apologies over the body.

If it wasn’t for him, she would still be alive.

If it wasn’t for him, she could have possibly saved humanity outside. 

If it wasn’t for him, she could have reached her goal.

But it’s his fault, so he must be the one to hold that burden. 

His apologies mix in with his sobbings at the weight of her death burdening his shoulders, but he knows he cannot do anything about it. 

It is what it is. 

This is just how the truth came to be, but his heart felt stricken with grief that he doesn’t think he could make it out of the trial grounds without collapsing. 

Why does he feel this hurt for a stranger or an acquaintance? Why does it hurt so bad to see this woman’s broken body sprawled on the floor before him? Why… did he want to reach out for her when he knows she’s already far away? 

He keeps repeating his sorries, but those words won’t reach her, just as they didn’t reach her before as she ran for her life. 

He begins to back away from the sight of the body and his crying begins to soften. 

Shuuichi has to leave. He can’t stay here forever… but something keeps pulling him to stay with her more.

He doesn’t listen though. 

Instead, Shuuichi makes a promise to Kirumi, in the same way he vowed to the other decease. 

He’ll get everyone out here, no matter what. He’ll protect them. 

To the deceased girl, Shuuichi makes that vow. Because of Kirumi’s strength to protect, Shuuichi will find the courage to do the same. Through Kirumi, he shall pull through and try to learn from her to protect his classmates as well.

It’s the least that he can do for someone like her.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap of my pregame series! Thank you very much for reading this fic, and if you read the entire series, I'm really grateful for sticking around to read all of it!! I love and appreciate every single one of you (and I hope I didn't really destroy your heart too much ; u ;) It was fun being able to write out my idea for a character I greatly love and I hope you all enjoyed it too! But till next time, take care!


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